Attachment for the throwing arms of target traps

ABSTRACT

A conversion attachment for the perforated throwing arms of conventional, portable target traps having a rail for propelling conventional clay &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;birds,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; said attachment comprising a detachable imperforate auxiliary plate with a downturned leading edge adapted to overlie the perforated portion of the said throwing arms and an upstanding target propelling flange that renders the rail inoperative whereby the attachment makes the arm capable of throwing unconventionally shaped objects, such as beer cans, or the like, into acceptable trajectories.

United States Patent [72] Inventor George C. Lueblreman 115 Mt. Nebo Road, Cleves, Ohio 45002 [21] Appl. No. 886,910 [22] Filed Dec. 22, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 10, 1971 [54] ATTACHMENT FOR THE THROWING ARMS 0F TARGETTRAPS 4 China, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 124/43, 124/41 [51] lntJ F4li5/00 [50] Fieldoisearch 124/6, 7, 8, 9, 34, 36, 41, 42, 43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,567 8/1931 North 124/43 2,925,077 2/ 1960 Luebkeman 124/43 3,368,542 2/1968 Dale 124/43 3,179,101 4/1965 Luebkeman... 124/43 3,533,392 10/1970 Luebkeman 124/41 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer Attorney-Walter S. Murray ABSTRACT: A conversion attachment for the perforated throwing arms of conventional, portable target traps having a rail for propelling conventional clay birds," said attachment comprising a detachable imperforate auxiliary plate with a downturned leading edge adapted to overlie the perforated portion of the said throwing arms and an upstanding target propelling flange that renders the rail inoperative whereby the attachment makes the arm capable of throwing unconventionally shaped objects, such as beer cans, or the like, into acceptable trajectories.

PATENTEI] Am; I 01911 INVENTOR Georye Club/(amen BY ATTY,

ATTACHMENT FOR THE THROWING ARMS OF TARGET TRAPS The present invention relates to target traps and particularly to an improved conversion attachment for the rotated throwing arms ofportable target traps.

Heretofore the target support plates for the throwing arms of portable target traps have been made retiform to materially reduce the weights of said arms and improve their target throwing characteristics. When it became desirable to throw relatively inexpensive and unconventionally shaped objects with these traps, such as been cans, and the like, the corners or edges of said objects became caught in the perforations in the target support plates which interfered with an impeded their movements along the support plates and/or changed the directional movements of the objects through the air.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an attachment for the perforate, retiform support plates of conventional target throwing arms to adapt them to throw unconventionally shaped, targetlike objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified yet rugged attachment for the throwing arms of conventional target traps which cooperates with the throwing arm structure to maintain the attachment in a strongly mounted position on the arms.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the specification that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters indicate identical parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental, top plan view of a conventional target trap with my attachment in operative position thereon.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the trap and attachment shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of the throwing arm and attachment taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views like FIG. 3 showing modified forms of my attachment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the attachment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 ofthe drawing.

The drawings depict a conventional, portable target trap that is similar in structure and functions to the trap shown in my Pat. No. 2,925,077, granted Feb. 16, I960. Briefly, the portable target trap illustrated in the drawings comprises an elongated base member 10 firmly but removably supported upon the ground or on other ground positioned objects in a suitable manner, and having ajournal bearing 11. at one end to mount the pivot pin 12 of a rotatable target throwing arm, generally indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 13. The target throwing arm is preferrably stamped from a lightweight metal sheet and has a retiform target support plate 14 provided with a number of sizeable apertures 15 to materially reduce the weight of the arm for these portable traps whereby, in operation, the momentum of the arm is reduced which increases the speed and accuracy of said throwing arms. Conventional targets, such as clay birds," have planar bottom surfaces which when placed upon and thrown by the retiform plate will slide smoothly thereover, said plate having a channel shaped rail 16 formed integral on the trailing edge thereof to impel said T birds" into desired trajectories. As best shown in FIGS. 3-5 the rail 16 is channel-shaped in section and has an upstanding flange I7 projecting from the free, leading edge thereof. A rub strip 18' may be secured to the upper leg of the channel screws 190, said rub strip projecting from the flange in the direction of the leading edge of the target support plate. This rub strip provides a frictional contacting member for conventional clay birds" when the trap is used to project said birds therefrom.

The target trap is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in cocked, spring loaded operative condition and to this end a contractile spring 19 has one end hooked into a link 20 that is in turn connected to a pin 21 anchored in the end of the arm l4 beyond the bearing pin 12. The opposed end of the spring 19 is hooked into an eye bolt 22 which freely passes through a hole in a bracket 23 projecting from the base 10. A wing nut 24 cooperates with the eye bolt to adjust the tension on the spring 19. The arm has a catch 25 connected to its free end that is operatively engaged behind a spring biased trigger 26 pivotally mounted at 27 on the base, said catch being released from the trigger by a pull string 29 to permit the spring 19 to rotate the arm 14 in the direction of the arrow 28 and throw a target therefrom into a desired trajectory.

With reference to FIGS. l3 and 6 of the drawings, my improved attachment comprises an imperforate, auxiliary target support plate 30 superimposed on and adapted to overlie and completely cover that portion of the retiform target support plate 14 that has the perforations 15 formed therethrough. An upstanding auxiliary target propelling flange 31 is formed integral with the support plate 30 and projects upwardly at right angles therefrom along the trailing edge of said plate. The leading edge of the support plate 30 is turned downwardly at 32 around the leading edge of the retiform support plate 14 while the trailing face of the flange 31 bears against the rub strip 18 carried by the rail 16. The attachment is strongly mounted on the throwing arm by screws 33-33 countersunk and welded to the support plate 30 and projecting through aligned holes 34 (FIG. 3) in the support plate 14. Wing nuts 35-35 cooperate with the screws to detachably secure the attachment upon the throwing arm 14.

Now with reference to FIG. 4 of the drawings, which depicts a modification of my attachment it is to be noted that the trailing end portion 36 of an imperforate, auxiliary target support plate extends into the rail 16 and that an upstanding auxiliary target propelling flange 131 has an inturned lower foot 37 that extends into the rail 16 and bears upon the end portion 36; a wing nut and screw arrangement 38 being adapted to detachably connect the foot 37 on the flange I31 and the extended portion 36 of the plate 130 to the target support plate 14 within the vertical extension of the rail 16.

FIG. 5 illustrates another modification of my attachment wherein an upstanding rail flange is extended upwardly to a height that will contact unconventionally shaped targets and serve as an integrally connected, auxiliary target propelling flange for the retiform target support plate 14. A vertically foreshortened auxiliary target propelling plate 231 has its top edge extended just above the rub strip 18 and has an inturned lower foot 37 that extends into the rail and bears upon the end portion 36 of the imperforate, auxiliary target support plate 130; a bolt and wing nut arrangement 38 connecting the foot 37 on the flange 231 and the target support plate 130 to the retiform plate 14.

It will therefore be understood that the target trap with a throwing arm having a retiform target support plate 14 will function in the usual manner to throw convention clay birds" into desired trajectories. When it is desired to use the trap to throw less expensive, unconventionally shaped targets, such as beer cans, and the like, one of my attachments best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, or 5 are detachably mounted on the throwing arm 13 by wing nut arrangements such that the retiform portion of the target support plate 14 is covered by an imperforate, auxiliary target support plate and the rail 16 is made inoperative by an upstanding, auxiliary target propelling flange of the attachment whereby unconventionally shaped objects having corners or sharp projections will move smoothly over the arm as they are being propelled into desired trajectories by the target trap.

What I claim is:

I. In the combination ofa retiform, target throwing arm ofa target trap having a perforate target support plate and an upstanding target propelling rail extending along the trailing edge of the plate, and an attachment for said arm: the improvement wherein said attachment is an imperforate, auxiliary target support plate superimposed on the retiform, target support plate and adapted to overlie the perforate portion thereof, a downturned leading edge on the auxiliary target support plate engaging the leading edge of the retiform target supportplate', an upstanding auxiliary target propelling flange connected to the trailing edge of the auxiliary target support plate-and abutting the target propelling rail, and detachable meansmounting the attachment to the arm.

end portion of the auxiliary target support plate extends into the rail, an inturned, foot formed on the lower portion of the auxiliary target propelling flange in engagement with the trailing end portion of the auxiliary target support plate, and the detachable mounting means connects said end portion of the auxiliary target support plate and the foot of the auxiliary target propelling flange to the retiform target throwing arm within the vertical extension of the rail thereof.

4. The attachment set forth in claim 3 wherein the auxiliary target propelling flange is vertically foreshortened to extend just above the rail on the retiform target throwing arm. 

1. In the combination of a retiform, target throwing arm of a target trap having a perforate target support plate and an upstanding target propelling rail extending along the trailing edge of the plate, and an attachment for said arm: the improvement wherein said attachment is an imperforate, auxiliary target support plate superimposed on the retiform, target support plate and adapted to overlie the perforate portion thereof, a downturned leading edge on the auxiliary target support plate engaging the leading edge of the retiform target support plate, an upstanding auxiliary target propelling flange connected to the trailing edge of the auxiliary target support plate and abutting the target propelling rail, and detachable means mounting the attachment to the arm.
 2. The attachment set forth in claim 1 wherein the trailing edge of the auxiliary target support plate and the lower end portion of the target propelling flange are integrally connected together, and the detachable mounting means connects the trailing end portion of the auxiliary target support plate to the retiform target throwing arm.
 3. The attachment set forth in claim 1 wherein the trailing end portion of the auxiliary target support plate extends into the rail, an inturned, foot formed on the lower portion of the auxiliary target propelling flange in engagement with the trailing end portion of the auxiliary target support plate, and the detachable mounting means connects said end portion of the auxiliary target support plate and the foot of the auxiliary target propelling flange to the retiform target throwing arm within the vertical extension of the rail thereof.
 4. The attachment set forth in claim 3 wherein the auxiliary target propelling flange is vertically foreshortened to extend just above the rail on the retiform target throwing arm. 